Don't Say It
by katyfaise
Summary: Don't say it. Please don't say it. That was all that Mimi could think before she walked out, heading wherever her feet would take her.
1. Prologue

AN- This sort of hit me last night. I have to write it. Next chapter will either be up.. tonight or tomorrow morning sometime. Oh, and I hope everyone has a Happy New Year. It's almost 2008. _It just might be, a happy new year._

Disclaimer- I don't own. Makes me sad.

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_**Two Years Earlier**

_Don't say it. Please don't say it, _she thought, her brown eyes staring at him.

"Maybe we should just break up."

Mimi froze. Everything stopped. Her rapid hand movements, her tears, even her breathing, just stopped. She'd been dreading those words. Although, she knew as soon as the fight had started, they would come up. They always did. But for whatever reason, Mimi felt that this time, it was definite.

"What?" she asked quietly, sitting down on the bed, her throat hurting from the yelling.

"You heard me. We should just end it now. Before either of us gets hurt anymore.." Roger seemed so easy going about the whole thing. Mimi wondered if it even hurt him.

She doubted it did.

"For good.." he added, as if it even needed to be added onto the conversation.

After a moment, Mimi stood up and looked at him. They'd been fighting for at least an hour. She couldn't even remember what it was about. If she thought hard enough, she could probably remember him accusing her of some stupid infidelity. It was the normal in their relationship. She always shot back that he was an asshole who needed to grow a pair. The fights always kept them happy, in some weird way. But now, maybe the fights had just gotten to be too much. Maybe not for her. No, she could take them. But maybe for Roger, it was all too much.

"I love you," she said quietly, hoping that those three small words could save anything they had.

"I bet.." Roger muttered, turning around. He opened the closet, pulling a small duffel bag out. After he zipped it open and sat it down on the bed, he pulled open drawers, piling Mimi's clothes into the bag. When he was finished with the dresser and the closet, he stuffed her shoes into the bag. He zipped it up, a little angry when it wouldn't zip just all the way.

"There," he said finally, holding the bag out to her. When Mimi didn't move, Roger shoved it toward her. "Take it!" he said loudly, watching as Mimi stumbled back.

She held the back close to her body and after a moment, she slung it over her shoulder. "Fine.. But don't think I'm coming back," Mimi hissed, turning and walking out of the room. She slammed the door shut behind her and only stopped to mutter a small 'bye' to Mark. Mimi walked out of the loft, quickly running down the stairs and outside. Without one final look at the building, she swallowed the lump in her throat and walked forward, heading wherever her feet would take her.


	2. Chapter 1

**AN- It's New Year's rocking eve. Yes it is. And I'm going to have fun tonight so I figured I needed to upload this early. Anyway, hope you enjoy. Next chapter will be what Roger's been doing.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own. No, I don't.**

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**Two Years Later**

_Why am I wet?_ she thought, her eyes shut tight. _It's really.. ouch.._ After a moment, Mimi opened her eyes, staring straight into the yellow eyes of a cat. No wonder the wet feeling was also accompanied by that of sandpaper. "Oh.. Morning Angel," she said, rubbing the cat under his chin. She honestly believed that Angel had been reincarnated in cat form, just for her. Only because when she'd first left the loft, the cat had joined her on a bench and scratched a few men that had tried to sit beside her. She believed that it was Angel's own way of looking out for her. Not that a small cat could do much though.

Mimi sat up and looked over at the window, squinting at the sun that was shining through. She sighed and crawled out of the bed, pulling her robe on. "Come on, let's go get some breakfast," she said, picking the cat up and walking out of the bedroom. Mimi slowly headed up the hallway, her bare feet enjoying the feel of the carpet like she always did. When she passed through the living room, she looked around for any evidence of another person. She sighed, figuring she'd be alone for this breakfast. Mimi walked into the kitchen, sitting Angel down on the floor.

She walked over to the fridge, her eyes widening when she saw the post it.

'I had to go to work early. See you at dinner. Don't eat. We'll go out. B.'

Mimi rolled her eyes. They'd made plans to go out every day that week. It hadn't happened yet. And although Mimi always got herself excited for it, she was used to being let down. She bit her bottom lip and stared down at her left hand, her eyes on the expensive engagement ring.

She'd only been away from Roger for five months when Benny had found her. After dating for a while, or better yet, Benny sending Mimi flowers and Mimi going out to dinner with him, he proposed. She had accepted, without thinking twice. Mimi definitely didn't feel the love that she'd once felt for Roger but she did care about him. Besides, Benny offered her security and happiness. How could she deny that.

Mimi pulled the fridge open and took out some bagels. After she heated them up in the toaster, she sat at the table, eating slowly. It was times like these when she didn't enjoy being alone in the apartment. The few friends she had were at work. And after she'd left Roger, she hadn't kept up with Maureen or Joanne, or even Mark. The only person she continued to see was Collins, when they went out for coffee every Tuesday. He kept her updated on everyone.

Maureen and Joanne were still together, although Joanne had thrown up the idea of moving and things were on thin ice. Mark was working as a freelance camera man. Collins said he acted much happier. And although Roger was always a touchy subject, she knew that he was with a woman named Emily. Collins had outright called her a bitch. It had made Mimi smile.

It was times like these when she missed them the most. When she ran their names over in her head, she realized that two years was a long time. She hadn't even seen them in passing. It depressed her.

When the phone ran, Mimi jumped, almost dropping her bagel. She took another bite and then stood up, chewing as she walked into the living room. Mimi sat down, leaning over and picking the phone up.

"Hello?" she questioned, leaning back against the couch.

"Mimi? Hey, it's Collins. How've you been since Tuesday?" he asked.

Mimi could hear the smile. She figured it was his usual large one. "I'm fine. It's good to hear from you. You usually don't call," she said.

"I know. I keep forgetting where I put the number you gave me. Anyway, Maureen's putting on a birthday part for Mark tonight at the Life. I figured you might want to come. You and Mark were pretty close.."

Mimi sighed. "Thanks for inviting me. You're probably going behind everyone's back.. I'll see what I can do. No promises though."

"There never are. It's at seven. But it's a surprise so get there at a quarter 'till so you can yell with us. Hope to see you there," Collins said before he hung the phone up.

When Mimi didn't hear anything she sighed and placed the phone on the receiver. She moved to stand up but was distracted by the phone ringing again. Mimi reached down, grabbing it and pulling it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Mimi, I'm not going to be able to get home tonight. I'm going out to dinner with a client.. I'm sorry." Mimi listened to Benny's voice, sighing. Once more he was leaving her hanging. She closed her eyes tight, trying to shake the angry feelings away.

"No.. It's fine. Actually, a friend invited me out for dinner. I think I'm going to go with her. Maybe go out for drinks afterwards," Mimi said. For some reason, she never felt bad about lying to Benny. Not when he'd lied to her about being married.

"Oh. That's nice. Have fun. I'll see you afterwards then," he said. "Love you."

Mimi sighed and stared ahead. "Yeah.. You too." She hung the phone up and stood up, walking into the bedroom again. When she felt Angel rubbing against her legs, she looked down, smiling.

"Think I really should go?" she asked, squatting down and picking the cat up, staring into his eyes.

The cat didn't say anything, instead just rubbed it's head against Mimi's hand.

"I hope that's a yes..." Mimi muttered, standing back up and walking over to the closet. She needed to find something nice to wear.


	3. Chapter 2

**AN- I hope everyone had a great night last night. I sure did. New Year's Eve was fun. I had my first encounter with Rock Band. Great game. I highly recommend it. Anyway, here's chapter 2. I hope you like it. You'll get to see what Roger's up to. Next chapter is Mark's party.**

**Disclaimer- Rent belongs not to me.**

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"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday little white boy. Happy birthday to you!" Collins sang, laughing as he sat a cupcake down in front of Mark.

Both Mark and Roger eyed the thing. Pink frosting and all.

"Sorry.. It was the only color I could get," Collins said, shrugging. He pulled a cigarette lighter from his pocket and lit a candle, sticking it down in the cupcake.

Mark blew out the candle quickly and pulled the candle out, handing it over to Roger. He'd always had an obsession with licking the frosting off of the candle. "So, what did you wish for?" Roger asked, sitting the candle down once it was licked clean.

"I don't make wishes.. I'm too old to believe that," Mark said, shrugging. He pulled the cupcake into three almost equal pieces and gave one to Roger and Collins.

"Well, aren't you enthusiastic.." Collins said sarcastically. He sat down, eating his bit of the cupcake.

The comfortable silence that had fallen over the boys was broken by the sound of a bedroom door opening.

"The dead has risen," Mark muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Shut up," Roger said, looking over his shoulder at a female.

Emily. Roger's now girlfriend. Five months worth of a girlfriend. Roger was probably the only person who liked her. If there was anything to keep Maureen away, Emily was it. The blonde seemed to butt heads with everyone. Roger had met her in a bar when he and Mark had went out one night for drinks. He barely remembered leaving Mark alone. He figured she'd be like any other one night stand. They'd wake up, laugh about it, and she'd leave. Problem was, she never really did. After five months, they decided that they were a couple, even though nothing was really said. It was a silent agreement between the two.

Roger stood up when he noticed the Emily wasn't joining them at the table. He walked over to her side, surprised when he was pulled back into the room. "Do I really have to go tonight?" she asked, her brown eyes pleading with him.

"Why wouldn't you want to go? It's Mark.. It's his birthday!" Roger said, staring at her.

"Because.. I don't know. I don't really want to hang around with Mark when he's just going to complain about getting older and you know Maureen and I don't get along.. I could just stay here, or go out with my own friends."

"Fine.. Whatever," he said, moving away from her. He walked out of the bedroom, the frown still on his face when he sat down at the table. He listened to Collins trying to prove to Mark that getting older was a good thing, definitely not bad.

"Yeah, remember, you're going to be able to live until your eighty something.." Roger muttered bitterly, interrupting their conversation.

Collins stopped and turned, looking at Roger. "Come on.. don't start this today.."

"Yeah. That could be your present to me. Don't be an asshole for one day," Mark said, laughing a bit.

After a moment, Roger plastered a smile on his face. He didn't even bother to say goodbye to Emily when she left. "I'm going to go rest. I think I'm getting older.. Not Mark," he said, shrugging as he stood up and walked off.

When Mark was sure he was gone, he leaned back and stared at Collins. "You called Mimi right?"

"Oh yeah. I called.. I sure hope she comes. I'm tired of this.." he said.

"Yeah.. Maybe I should've wished for that," Mark said, sighing and laying his head down on the table.


	4. Chapter 3

**AN- Okay, Mark's party is going to be in two parts. This is the first part. Next part will be a little better. More interaction between Mimi and Roger thanks to their lovely friends. But I wanted to upload something and here you go. I do call it a filler chapter. But it's something. Enjoy! Maybe I can finish this before school. Who knows?**

**Disclaimer- I don't own RENT. Jon Larson does. **

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Mimi walked down the sidewalk, chewing on her bottom lip obsessively. She might've turned up at the Life earlier if she hadn't turned around and walked back home three times. It seemed like a great idea; meeting her friends again, having a fun time. But when she actually walked out, her stomach had flipped. Luckily, she'd gained enough courage to go all the way. She approached the building, walking a bit slower than before. "It's now or never.." she told herself. With a deep breath, Mimi pulled open the door to the Life Cafe and walked in, immediately enveloped by it's warmth.

It didn't take her long to find the table. Apparently Maureen had convinced someone to let her string a "Happy Birthday Mark!" banner over a few tables. Mimi smiled and shook her head. Collins said Maureen was throwing a party. Little or not, she knew how to throw one.

She walked over to the table, smiling when she saw Collins.

"Hey Mimi!" he said loudly, waving at her.

"Hey.. Where is everyone?" she asked, looking around as she took a seat next to him.

"Maureen went to get the cake. And I think Joanne tagged along with her.." he shrugged, apparently more interested in the beer in front of him.

"What about Mark?"

"Oh.. Uh, Roger was taking him around town or something, stalling for time until seven. If Maureen doesn't get back then we might not have a proper surprise," he said, a smile on his lips.

Mimi laughed and stood up, walking over to the bar. After a few minutes, she returned with a beer and sat back beside Collins. She took a sip, sitting in silence.

"What did Benny say?" Collins asked, looking over at her.

"About this? Oh, he thinks it's a girlfriend's birthday party and we're going out for drinks afterwards.."

"Liar," he scolded, laughing quietly.

They sat quietly, waiting for Maureen and Joanne to show up. When they finally did, Mimi wondered if they'd traveled out of state to get the cake.

"Oh God.. You'd think everyone in New York wanted a damn cake.." Maureen said, her voice loud as soon as she walked through the door. She approached the table, carefully setting the cake down. When she looked up and saw Mimi, she stopped.

"Oh.. Mimi," she said, a smile creeping onto her lips. "It's about time you came back around. Jo! Mimi came!" she called out, looking up and trying to spot the lawyer. "She's already at the bar.." she said, laughing.

"Let's just not tell her who you're engaged to, okay?" Collins whispered, earning a nod out of Mimi.

When Joanne joined them at the table, Collins and Mimi listened as Maureen and Joanne argued about cake flavors. They finally pulled the cake out of the box and sat it out of the table.

"Okay, it's six fifty six.. They'll be here any minute," Joanne said, staring at her wristwatch. She sat down at the table, looking toward the door.

As the minutes ticked away, they looked up as each person entered. Maureen walked to the door, staring out to watch for Mark and Roger. "Hey.. they're coming!" she said loudly, hurrying back to the table.

Mimi and Collins turned around, looking toward the door. Roger walked in first, his eyes skimming the restaurant. He smiled when he saw the group and then walked in, pulling Mark along with him. "Okay, open your eyes."

As soon as Mark pulled his hands from his eyes, the five yelled 'Surprise!' as loud as they could. Like always, they didn't care if they interrupted anyone around them. They were just happy to see Mark genuinely surprised.

Roger pulled Mark over to the table and they both took a seat. "This is.. great," Mark said, looking at the cake. "Thanks," he said.

"Oh, you're very welcome. You don't know what I went through to get that cake," Maureen said, crossing her arms as she sat down.

Mark looked over at Roger, noticing he'd been quieter than usual. He followed the other man's surprised gaze. When he saw that it ended up on Mimi, he smiled. "Uh.. Collins invited her. For me.." he said, looking at Roger. He turned back to Maureen, watching as she cut the cake and sat pieces out onto plates for them.

Maureen sat plates out in front of each person. Mimi grabbed her fork, taking a small bite. She stared down at the cake, not wanting to meet Roger's eyes. Both she and Collins had noticed that Roger had been staring at her.

Mimi reached up, taking a sip from her beer. It was going to be a long night. She could already tell.


	5. Chapter 4

**AN- Yay. Another chapter. Next chapter will be fun. Want a hint? There shall be.. SOMETHING between Roger and Mimi. Can't say what though. Anyway, I just started a new job waitressing at this restaurant and I am in sooo much pain. That's why I can't update until late. Enjoy though!**

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Mimi was actually surprised that the night wasn't all that eventful. She and Collins had ended up at the bar together after a couple pieces of cake.

"So... why isn't his girlfriend here?" Mimi asked quietly, looking over at Collins.

He shrugged. "I don't know. He never exactly said why."

Mimi nodded. She wasn't complaining. In her mind, she was over Roger. But she wasn't entirely sure if she could see him with another woman. Not yet.

Mark looked over his shoulder, his eyes on Collins and Mimi. He smirked before taking a long sip from his beer. "Hey, Roger.. Go get me another beer would you?"

"You've got half a glass," Roger said, leaning back.

"I won't by the time you get back. Come on, it's my birthday."

Roger sighed and stood up, walking over to the bar. He was blatantly ignoring Mimi, and she knew it.

After ordering a few beers, he turned around and leaned against the bar.

Collins glanced beside him, looking over at Roger. With a smile, he stood up, grabbing his glass. "I'm going to go make sure Maureen and Joanne aren't fighting," he said, wrapping one arm around Mimi. "See you."

Mimi sat up, watching as Collins walked off. When she turned back to face the bar, her eyes landed on Roger. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Hey Roger," she said quietly, placing a smile on her lips. She had a habit of always making the first move.

Roger looked up, surprised that Mimi was talking to him. "Oh.. hey," he said, crossing his arms and staring ahead.

She sighed, shaking her head. "How have you been?" she asked. Mimi was wondering how far she could get in this conversation. She found herself smiling when Roger sat down beside her.

He shrugged, still staring at the table where his friends were. "I'm okay. How's Mr. Coffin?"

"How'd you know?" she asked, staring at Roger.

"There was an engagement announcement in the paper. About five sentences I think.." he said, shrugging.

Mimi laughed nervously. She grabbed her glass, taking a long drink.

When the bartender sat the beers down behind Roger, he turned around, sighing. "Come on.." he said, nodding toward the table. He stood up, waiting for Mimi. When she finally stood up, he walked with her back to the table.

Maybe it was just Mark, but he noticed the genuine smile back on Roger's face.

After a few hours passed by, Joanne stood up, pulling Maureen up. "I've got to get her home.. And brace myself for the hangover tomorrow," she said.

"I'm okay.." Maureen said, laughing loudly. "Really, baby! I am!"

Joanne rolled her eyes, watching as Maureen stumbled toward the door. "Bye guys. Happy birthday Mark." She followed after Maureen.

Once the two were gone, Mark looked around the table, satisfied with his birthday. He stood up, pulling on his jacket. "Come on, Roger, let's go home," he said, wrapping an arm around his drunk friend's waist and pulling him up.

Collins stood up, pulling Mimi along with him. "I love carrying home drunk friends," he said, laughing as he wrapped his arms around Mimi.

Collins and Mark walked outside, trying to ignore Roger's drunk mumbling. When Mark realized that Collins was walking alongside him, still with Mimi, he stopped. "What are you doing?"

"Do you really think I'm going to trust a cab driver to get her home? She'll be safer with us.."

Mark sighed, relenting. It didn't seem like such a good idea but Collins was right. "I guess she can just crash on the couch.. We're going to have to listen to Emily's bitching."

Collins laughed, carefully holding Mimi up.

When they got home, Mark took Roger to his room, happy that Emily was nowhere to be seen. Apparently, she'd went out on her own. Thank God. He didn't want to deal with her. He pulled back Roger's thin blanket and sat him down on the bed.

"Where's Mimi?" Roger asked, yawning.

"Living room. Collins is putting her to bed."

Roger kicked his shoes off and leaned back, sighing.

"I miss her.." he said as he turned over onto his side.

Mark smiled as he walked out of the room, resisting the urge to jump with joy.

Collins sat Mimi down on the couch, pulling her shoes off.

When he saw Mark, he shook his head. After he draped a blanket over Mimi, he walked away from the couch. "I'm going to bed. She turns into dead weight when she's drunk.." Collins said, laughing. "See you in the morning."

Mark waved at Collins as he turned and walked off. After fixing himself a glass of water, he walked into his bedroom and closed the door. For the first time in a long time, he went to bed thinking that everything would be okay. He was sure it would be. Mimi was engaged, sure, and Roger had a girlfriend, but things changed. They always did.


	6. Chapter 5

**AN- Hehe. Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it. I promised action between Roger and Mimi and you get it. Although it's not much, it's a stepping stone. And it's going to lead to more. The next few chapters might be a little boring until.. well, I can't tell you. My secret!

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**The next morning, when Mimi opened her eyes, she immediately regretted it. Her head was pounding. She'd drank more than she remembered. She sat up and looked around. "Shit.." she muttered, realizing exactly where she was. She rubbed her head and sighed, turning and dropping her legs off of the couch.

"Want some coffee?"

Mimi froze, her mouth open for a moment. When she turned around and saw Roger sitting at the table, a cup in his hand, she managed to nod.

She stood up and walked over to the table, sitting down in front of him. Mimi watched as Roger stood up and grabbed another coffee mug. After he'd filled it, he poured in some milk and sugar and sat it in front of her.

"You remember how I like it.." Mimi noted, smiling at Roger before taking a sip.

Roger sat back down, shrugging.

"There might be.. cereal or something. If you're hungry," he added, smiling weakly.

Mimi shook her head. "No thanks. Coffee's enough for me." She smiled again, sipping her coffee.

"Did you sleep well?" Roger asked, leaning back in his chair, crossing his arms.

"Yeah.. But that's not the most comfortable couch," Mimi said, shrugging.

"Well I'm sure we can't all have leather couches like Benny.."

Mimi stared at Roger, trying to figure out if he was trying to be funny or an asshole. After a moment, she stood up and walked over to the sink. She took a final sip from her cup and sat it down.

"Do you love him?" Roger asked, turning in his chair and staring at Mimi's back.

"Do you love her?" she shot back, gripping onto the counter.

When she heard Roger chuckling, she felt the anger growing inside of her. "Well, do you?" she asked angrily.

Roger continued to laugh as he stood up, his arms crossed. "I asked you first."

"You're an asshole.." Mimi muttered, turning around and staring at him.

She stared down at the floor, sighing. Mimi barely noticed Roger approaching her until his hands were on her hips. She looked up at him, surprise on her face. When Roger moved in and pressed his lips against hers, she didn't fight him. Mimi kissed him back, her eyes closing. She'd missed this. She'd missed Roger. Mimi could feel her heart begin to flutter. But after a moment, she pulled away from him, shaking her head.

"I can't.." she whispered.

"What?" Roger asked, staring at her.

"I'm engaged," Mimi said, frantically moving away from him. She walked over to the couch, gathering her things up.

"Yeah, to Benny!"

"And you have a girlfriend," Mimi stated, placing her hands on her hips.

"So?" Roger asked, as if it mattered.

"You know what.. You're amazing.." she said, shaking her head. "Really amazing." Mimi pulled her shoes back on and her jacket.

"Come on, Mimi!" he said loudly, walking over to her.

"Just.. don't touch me," Mimi hissed, grabbing her purse. She stared at him for a moment before she walked toward the door. "You.. you shouldn't have broken up with me. I didn't do anything wrong, Roger. And now, it's too late." Mimi bit her bottom lip and pulled the door back, walking out. She slammed the door shut behind her, trying not to think about kissing Roger. She needed to get home to see Benny. Besides, she was sure he was worried about her.


	7. Chapter 6

**AN- Sorry I couldn't update yesterday. I went to the movies. Saw One Missed Call (okay) and P.S. I Love You (GREAT!!) I cried like, over the littlest things but it was the best movie. Everyone should see it.**

**Disclaimer- Since I keep forgetting this. I don't own RENT. I wish.**

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Mark walked out of his bedroom, rubbing his eyes. After a moment, he slipped his glasses back on and stared at Roger, who was still standing beside the couch.

"People are trying to sleep you know.. You and Emily can keep the fighting down," he said, yawning.

"We're not fighting.." Roger muttered, shaking his head. After a moment, he sat down on the couch.

"Where's Mimi?" Mark asked, crossing his arms.

"She left," Roger said simply, staring at the door.

Mark nodded, realized immediately that since it wasn't Roger and Emily fighting, it must've been him and Mimi. "Well what did you do?"

"Why do you automatically think it's my fault that she left?" Roger asked, getting a bit defensive.

"Because usually it is.." Mark said, shrugging as he walked toward the kitchen. He was happy that coffee had already been made and he poured himself a cup.

He watched as Roger sank down further into the couch, his eyes still on the door. "Hoping she'll come back?"

Roger scoffed and leaned forward. "I kissed her."

Mark nodded, pursing his lips. "She's engaged to Benny..." Mark stated, sipping his coffee.

"Yeah, so I've been told.. I think I scared her off or something."

After a moment, Mark walked over to the couch and sat down beside Roger, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Things work themselves out. Watch.." he said, leaning back, a smile playing on his lips.

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Mimi figured that taking a cab back home might've been easier but she needed to walk. She needed to clear her head. She knew for sure that she'd loved the kiss. It wasn't even the kiss that had gotten her so guilty. No, it was the feelings that had rushed back to her.

When Mimi finally got home, she slipped inside quietly. She was surprised to see Benny on the couch, reading the paper. "Shouldn't you be at work?" she asked, shrugging her jacket off.

"I'm sick.." he muttered, feigning a cough. "Where have you been? I called a few of your friends but they hadn't seen you.."

"Oh.. You know that cooking class I go to every now and then? Yeah, it was a friend from that. Miranda," she said, nodding. "I sort of got drunk. So I stayed with her. You know how I am with alcohol.."

Benny nodded, smiling at her. "Well I'm glad you had fun.." He watched as Mimi put her jacket away and hung her purse on a chair.

She bit her bottom lip and looked at Benny from the corner of her eye. He was reading the newspaper again, obviously looking for anything of interest to him. "I'm going to go take a shower.." Mimi said quietly, only earning a grunt in response from Benny.

Mimi sighed and walked into the bedroom. When she felt Angel rubbing at her ankles, she smiled and leaned down, picking the cat up. "Have I got a story for you.." she said, sitting the cat down on the bed, absently rubbing her lips.


	8. Chapter 7

**AN- Long chapter. And two in one day? Wow, I'm on a roll. I hope you enjoy. Next chapter will be fun too. I have a feeling that I'm getting close to the end.**

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Days passed and Mimi went back to her regular schedule of staying at home while Benny was at work. She had yet to get over the kiss, as much as she wanted to. Hurting Benny was the last thing on her mind. It could just stay a secret that stayed locked inside of her for the rest of her life.

Tuesday morning, she woke up early like usual. Tuesday was her favorite day. She would go see Collins and they would talk for hours. Mimi wasn't even sure if Benny knew about her coffee visits. She didn't really care. Nothing would stop them.

After she was dressed, she fed the cat before walking out of the house. Mimi walked down the sidewalk, heading toward their usual meeting spot. It was just a small cafe that both Mimi and Collins had fell in love with. Great coffee and an even better atmosphere. She loved it.

When she walked in, she looked around for Collins. Not finding him there, she frowned and ordered herself a cup. She walked over to the table where they sat and looked out the window. After a moment, she sat down and pulled her cellphone out of her purse. When she found that Collins hadn't called, she frowned. He was always there before her. Maybe he was running late. Mimi was sure she didn't have any reason to worry.

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After an hour, Mimi stood up, shaking her head. Collins had never missed one of their dates. She walked out of the cafe, a determined grin on her face. As she walked, she dialed the phone number to the loft on her cell. After not getting an answer, she groaned and pocketed the thing, walking even faster.

When she finally reached the building, she ran up the stairs. Once she was at the door, she knocked loudly, waiting for an answer.

* * *

Mark stood up, sighing. He was bored, although he usually was. Collins had went out to see Mimi and Roger and Emily were back in their bedroom, doing God only knew what. Mark really didn't want to know anyway.

He went to the door and pulled it open, surprised to see Mimi.

"Is Collins here?" she asked, looking in past Mark.

"Isn't he supposed to be with you?" he questioned, staring at her.

"He never showed.. I figured he might be here still and forgot to call.."

Mark opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted when the phone began to ring. "Excuse me," he said, turning and walking toward the phone. He motioned for Mimi to walk in before he leaned over and picked the phone up.

Mimi bit her bottom lip and looked around, obviously trying to see if Roger was there. When she saw no sign of him, she walked in, standing close to the open door. She listened as Mark talked on the phone, seeming concerned. When he hung up, she raised an eyebrow, looking at him still.

"Uh.. That was the hospital. Collins was admitted about an hour ago.." he said, rubbing his head. "Said this number was on the emergency contacts.."

"What the hell happened?" Mimi asked, concerned.

"Didn't say.. Just said that he could be picked up. Wow.."

"Well come on, let's go!" Mimi said loudly, moving toward the door.

"Let me go get Roger. He'll want to come too."

Mimi froze, swallowing the lump in her throat. Great. Roger.

She watched as Roger came out of the room, pulling a shirt over his head. Mark followed close behind. Then she saw the other woman. Mimi stood up straight, staring at her. She was prettier than she had imagined. Maybe Mimi was living in a dream, hoping that Roger was dating some toothless whore or something. No. She should've known that she would be pretty. She watched as she pulled her blonde hair back. It almost made Mimi sick.

"Come on, let's go to the hospital," Mark said, approaching Mimi. He shot a warning look to Roger before gently grabbing Mimi's hand and pulling her out.

"Who's that? Mark got a girl?" Emily ask, wrapping her arms around one of Roger's arms.

"No.. It's just a friend," he said, trying to ignore the fact that Mimi was once again in his home.

* * *

When they reached the hospital, all four of them piled inside. After Mark found out where Collins was, they headed back to the ER. Mimi broke away from Mark and walked out in front of them. Once she found the area where Collins was, she pulled back the curtain, staring at him.

Collins looked up and smiled brightly at Mimi. "Hey, Mimi," he said, waving at her.

"Oh My God. I was so worried about you," she said, walking over to him. "Why are you here?" Mimi sat down on the bed beside Collins and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Don't ever do that to me, asshole!" she said loudly, crossing her arms.

Collins laughed and looked up as the rest filed into the room. "Hey everyone.." He looked back at Mimi, still smirking since she seemed so ticked. "I was going to meet you and I was going down the subway stairs and I fell. Simple as that. I have this awful gash on my knee. This little old woman felt sorry for me and helped me get to the hospital."

Mark laughed quietly, unable to hold it back. "Come on, big guy. Let's get home. You've been discharged already."

Collins stood up, nodding.

"Well this was a total waste of time.." Emily muttered, walking out of the room.

Mimi stared at the other woman's back. Just as she went to lunge after her, Collins wrapped an arm around her waste, holding her back. "Come on, Mimi. Calm down.. It's not worth it."

Mark laughed again, looking over at Roger. "Maybe you should watch out for Emily. Mimi might kick her ass." He moved over to Collins and helped him walk out once he'd released Mimi.

Mimi crossed her arms and looked over to Roger, wrinkling her nose in his direction.

"Please, don't lunge at my girlfriend. She didn't do anything to you.." Roger muttered, staring at her.

"You could've defended Collins.. He's your friend. You shouldn't let that little whore talk about him like that. He could've been really hurt."

Roger's mouth dropped as he watched her. After a moment, he laughed. "I can not believe you just called her a whore.."

"Shut up, Roger," Mimi muttered, walking out. Before she walked past the curtain, she felt Roger's hand wrap around her wrist. Mimi stopped and looked down, staring at his hand.

"I don't regret kissing you," Roger said quietly, pulling her a bit too close for Mimi's comfort.

She sighed, staying quiet for a moment. "I figured you wouldn't. I mean, so what if your little whore girlfriend finds out? All she can do is break up with you.. But I have a fiancée who I really don't want to lose."

"You care about Benny that much?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"At least he doesn't abandon me.." Mimi said, her breath catching in her throat.

Roger held her arm for a moment before he let go of her, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry," Mimi whispered, staring at the ground. With a weak smile, she stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek lightly.

He stared at her, wondering if it was an end, or just a beginning of a friendship that he wouldn't enjoy. "Want to go for a walk?"

"How are you going to explain that to what's her name?" Mimi asked, smirking.

"Just come on.." Roger grabbed Mimi's wrist again and pulled her out. He glanced down the hallway, looking at Mark, Collins and Emily.

With a smile back to Mimi, he pulled her down the opposite direction. Mimi wasn't sure if she should be going with him but she wasn't going to argue. Not when she was already in too deep.


	9. Chapter 8

**AN- School starts tomorrow. Gah.. I don't want to go back. I hate my schedule this semester. That means updates will be slower but don't worry, there's not much left. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It was fun writing, even if it's still short.**

* * *

Mimi wasn't surprised that they ended up in a park. Roger knew that she loved nature. She loved to be outside. It had been two years since they'd been apart but she was happy that he still remembered things about her. At least he hadn't completely forgotten. Although, Mimi figured it would be hard to just forget something like they'd had.

When they were walking along the park path, Roger dropped her wrist and they walked in silence, side by side.

After a moment, Mimi looked up at Roger and smiled. "This was a good idea," she said, hugging her body.

"Yeah. I'm full of them lately.." he said, shrugging. He smiled over at Mimi, enjoying the fact that they were alone. "I'm sorry that I kissed you."

Mimi laughed, deciding against telling him that she'd enjoyed it. "Don't worry about it. It happens.."

"Yeah, hard to resist you," he said. He rolled his eyes, realizing how much he'd missed the sound of her laughter. It was light, and made his heart flutter. Emily's laugh was loud and obnoxious. It reminded him of Maureen's. Well.. Maureen's was actually better sometimes.

The two fell into a comfortable silence as they walked. After a moment, Mimi stopped and bought the both of them a drink.

"Shouldn't I be the one buying things?" he asked, placing a hand in his pocket.

"You should be happy.. It's Benny's money," she said, shrugging. When Roger laughed, she looked over at him, smiling. She liked this. It was like before, when they were happy. It was times the times like these that she missed.

They climbed up a bridge and Mimi leaned over the edge, looking at the water beneath them. After a moment, she turned and pulled herself up onto the rail so she was sitting.

"This was a good idea.." she noted absently, trying to make small talk. She felt a bit awkward, being alone with him.

Roger simply shrugged, his eyes landing on an elderly couple. "Is that going to be you and Benny one day?" he asked, smirking at Mimi.

She sighed sadly, shaking her head. "That's Benny and his third wife.." she said, staring at the ground. "What happened to us?"

After a moment, Roger looked up at her, licking his lips. "I don't know.." he said, leaning against the rail. "Maybe we grew apart.."

"Roger, people who love each other don't just grow apart!" she stated, running her fingers through her hair. "And.. I loved you. I was madly in love with you. And you just kicked me out.."

Roger sighed and stood up straight, staring out at the water. "We got in a fight. Couples fight. Things just ended badly.."

"No kidding.." Mimi wrapped her hands around the rail, sighing.

Mimi opened her mouth to speak again but was cut off when she felt Roger's lips against hers. The first kiss had thrown her off so much. She wasn't sure if she could handle another. But she wasn't going to fight against him this time. Mimi wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head toward his, deepening their kiss.

When Roger finally pulled away to take a breath, Mimi opened her eyes and looked at him. "My life is fine right now.. Why are you turning it upside down?" she whispered, smiling weakly.

"It's what I do best," he said with a laugh as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

Mimi leaned her head against his, sighing. She really didn't know what she was getting into, but Mimi was more than willing to get into it, especially if it involved Roger.


	10. Chapter 9

**AN- School has seriously ruined my ability to update and have any inspiration whatsoever. I hate it. God.. I hate school. Anyway, this chapter should make some Roger/Mimi lovers VERY happy. Hehe. Just wait.**

Mimi allowed Roger to walk her to the corner of her street. They'd been out for the whole day together. It had made her happy, very happy. If only she wasn't engaged and didn't have a fiancée at home. He could've walked her to her doorstep.

"So I guess I'll see you," Roger said, his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

Mimi rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, putting all her weight on one hip. "You can't just say, 'I'll see you', Roger. Come on.." she muttered, staring at him.

Roger looked up, smiling. "You're so pushy sometimes.."

She laughed, reaching up and wrapping her arms around him tightly. When she felt his arms wrap around her body, she melted against him, closing her eyes.

"We should go out, tomorrow night," Roger said, resting his head on top of Mimi's.

"Yeah.. my treat," she said, sighing as she pulled away from him. She wanted to stay in his arms for just a little longer.

"Right. It's always going to be your treat. I'm fucking broke," Roger said, winking at her. He backed away a bit, his hands going straight to his pockets once more.

Mimi laughed again before she nodded. "I'll come see you, tomorrow.. I promise." She smiled before turning and walking down the sidewalk. She could feel Roger's eyes on her and she smirked as she turned the corner, disappearing.

* * *

Roger made his way back home, feeling happy for the first time in ages. Mimi was the main point in his mind. The idea that they were both involved was the last thing on his mind. He was too happy to think about anything else besides their kiss.

When he walked inside, the silence enveloped him. "Hello?" he asked aloud, looking around.

"Mark and Collins went to get something to eat," Emily said, her voice coming from the bathroom. After a moment, she walked out, staring at Roger.

"You didn't go with them?" he asked, biting his bottom lip as he shrugged his jacket off.

"Why would I do that? I'd rather eat alone.."

Roger rolled his eyes and bit his tongue as he sat down on the couch.

"So, where'd you go?" she asked, walking over to the couch and sitting down beside him.

He shrugged and looked over at Emily. "I went on a walk.." He took a breath and leaned back. "You know.. you really should stop insulting Mark and Collins. Even Maureen," he said, his voice low.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You talk so bad about each of them. And you say some really terrible things. Really, you should lay off. Collins was in the hospital and you said it was a waste of time!"

"He was fine.." Emily said, defending herself.

"It doesn't matter." Roger stared over at her, shaking his head. Maybe he was finding a reason to break up with her. If he went to Mimi as a single man, maybe everything would be better.

"Fine.." she said, standing up. She opened her mouth, about to speak but was cut off when Roger held his hands up.

"Em, I want to take a break. A long, break.." he said, nodding.

After a moment, she nodding. "Good.. I'm sick and tired of this hellhole anyway." She turned and walked away, heading into the bedroom.

Roger had no idea how long she was gone for, but he heard a few things crash, and he dreaded going in there later. When she finally walked back out, he watched as she walked straight to the door and slid it open. She walked out, not even bothering to close it behind her.

"Great.." he said, a smirk coming to his lips. He couldn't help but feel a little bit of happiness inside. He was single. Now he just couldn't wait to tell Mimi.


	11. Chapter 10

**AN- Wow.. I haven't updated in a while. Blame it on Algebra 2 and an essay due every week in Adv English. We've probably got a music essay tomorrow. You know, what song means the most to you. I'm thinking about doing Life Support from RENT. Yeah, my English teacher, a RENThead as well, will be so proud. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. **

* * *

The next morning, when Mimi finally woke up, she crawled out of the bed with a smile on her face. She knew that she was going to go see Roger for the day. That thought was enough to make her happy.

As quickly as she possibly could, she put on some clothes for the day and ran out of the bedroom. When she saw Benny sitting on the couch, she froze. For once, she felt a bit guilty.

Benny put down his newspaper as soon as he saw her. "Morning," he said cheerfully.

Mimi smiled and absently grabbed her jacket.

"Where are you going? You just woke up.."

"I'm meeting some friends. Having a girl day," she said, pulling her purse up over her shoulder.

"Oh.. Well I was hoping we could spend some time together. I'm not working today. We could go out," Benny offered, folding the newspaper.

Mimi almost put away her purse but she stopped herself. "Maybe another time. I promised I'd meet them.." Before she left, she walked over to Benny and leaned over, kissing him on his cheek. "I'll be back soon. I promise."

She smiled before she turned and walked out of the apartment. As she headed down the stairs, she took a deep breath. Benny was trying. And she was going to see Roger. She shook the thoughts from her head as she hailed a cab. Thinking about Benny was definitely ruining her mood. And she wanted to be at least a bit cheerful when she saw Roger.

* * *

Mimi bounded up the stairs to the building, the smile on her face still. When she reached the loft, she knocked on the door loudly.

As soon as Roger pulled the door open, she walked inside. "Good morning," Mimi said, looking at him.

"Hey. You actually came by.." Roger noted, crossing his arms.

"You thought I wouldn't? Oh ye of little faith." With a laugh, Mimi walked over to the couch and sat down. "Where is everyone?"

"Uh.. I think Mark went out with Maureen and Collins. He's the perpetual third wheel, you know?"

Mimi nodded, deciding not to ask about Emily. She'd already readied herself for anything that would happen. If she wanted to, she would be ready to jump on the girl. But she figured that Roger was smart enough to make sure they were alone.

"So, what are the plans for today?" Roger asked, slowly walking over to the couch and sitting down closely beside her.

She shrugged. She honestly didn't care what they did. As long as she could spend a little bit of time with him, then she was fine. Mimi couldn't fight the feelings. She'd even had a dream about Roger, although she wasn't planning on divulging on that.

"We could just.. stay here. I haven't actually spent anytime here for a long time. Passing out on the couch doesn't exactly count," Mimi said, laughing quietly.

"I don't have any food you know.."

"Well I figured that, broke ass. But good thing I don't ever eat. Benny says I need to see a doctor about it. I can't help that I'm never hungry," she said, shrugging.

After a bit of silence, Roger sighed and looked over at Mimi. "Emily and I broke up yesterday," he announced absently.

She was surprised but a smile crept onto her face. "Well I hope that it wasn't over me."

"It wasn't. Don't worry. She was terrible in bed so it was about time I kicked her to the curb.." Roger said, shrugging.

Mimi laughed before she rolled her eyes. "You're such a dick sometimes," she said, looking over at him. It was like old times. Granted, they were talking about how Roger had just broken up with his new girlfriend. But it still felt nice.

"I'm glad you came over today. Really, I am. It's nice," Roger said, smiling weakly at her.

"Yeah.. I guess it was a good decision."

Like before, she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. She pressed her lips against his, a smile on her face through the kiss.

Roger quickly returned her kiss and he wrapped his own arms around her small waist. When Mimi finally pulled away to take a breath, he was smiling. Without wasting any time, Roger moved back in for another kiss. He was happy when she didn't fight against him.

Mimi quickly melted into the kiss. Before she knew it, she was being carried back to Roger's bedroom. As much as her mind was telling her to stop, she couldn't help it. Mimi couldn't help it that everything she felt about Roger was coming back now. And she definitely wasn't going to fight it.


	12. Chapter 11

**AN- It's official, I have tickets to see the RENT tour April 28th. I'm very excited. Yay!!  
Anyway, I've sort of got an idea for a new story and I want everyone's opinion on it. It's going to be about how Mimi, Roger, Collins, Angel and maybe April got AIDs. My take on how they got AIDs and how it effected their life.. you know? I don't know.. Let me know what you think, okay?**

**

* * *

**Mimi opened her eyes, a yawn immediately leaving her mouth. It didn't take her long to realize where she was, and who it was that was sleeping beside her. She sat up in bed, a frown on her face. She'd slept with Roger, something she hadn't intended on doing. Mimi looked toward the window. They'd slept through the night. She was sure that Benny was worried sick. Every time she tried to think of Benny though, her mind filled with thoughts of Roger instead. Mimi already felt sick. 

She carefully slipped out of the bed, trying not wake up Roger. At the moment, she didn't want to deal with him. He would convince her to stay. Mimi had a soft spot for Roger. Anything he said, she usually listened to.

Mimi quietly began to gather her clothes, putting each item on piece by piece. When she had her underwear on and was pulling on her jeans, she could hear Roger moving around in the bed, causing Mimi to freeze momentarily.

"Morning," Roger said, sitting up and looking over at her.

"Oh.. Hey.." Mimi said, buttoning her jeans and pulling her shirt on over her head.

Roger stared at her for a minute, a curious look on his face. "What are you doing? It's early.. Why are you up?"

"I really should go home, Roger," Mimi said quietly, absently crossing her arms and staring at him. "Benny's probably worried because I didn't come home last night.."

"Wow.. You're really going to bring up Benny?" Roger asked, shaking his head.

"Well, he is my fiance, Roger."

"Yeah, and you just woke up after sleeping with me. You're going to go home and pretend like it never happened?"

Mimi was a bit surprised because at this point, Roger was sitting on the edge of the bed and was moving toward her. "Roger.. I.." She bit her lip, speechless.

"Fine. Just don't say anything. Leave. Go back to your new life.." Roger muttered. He stood up and grabbed his pants from the day before, pulling them back on.

"Roger.. Don't be like this," she whispered, shaking her head. "You know that I'm engaged.." She reached out to touch him but Roger shrugged away from her. Mimi sighed, unable to argue with him.

She didn't know what to do. Instead of staying any longer, she turned and moved toward his bedroom door. "You know.. I haven't stopped loving you Roger, no matter what you think," she said quietly. "Even though I have my new life and all.. I still love you," she said quietly. Mimi looked over her shoulder, trying to see if she'd gained any reaction but Roger was just sitting there on the edge of his bed, not moving. Maybe he was thinking the same thing. Mimi didn't know.

She just sighed and walked out of the room. Once more she was walking away from Roger, just like she'd done two years ago. This time though, she didn't know if she'd be able to handle it.


	13. Chapter 12

**AN- Well I've got to give a major thank you to x Rajah x. If it wasn't for her, this chapter wouldn't have made it. She gave me the idea, and the motivation and the inspiration to write this chapter. Lordy, I sound like I'm on Oprah. Anyway, it's her you should be thanking for this new chapter, honestly.  
But, I hope you like it. Enjoy. This is the beginning of the end. Like, there's only two or three chapters left. I'm sooo happy! Yay!**

Disclaimer- RENT is not mine. I don't own.

* * *

When Mimi finally walked into the apartment, she was immediately greeted with the sound of yelling. She looked toward the kitchen, a curious expression growing on her face. Mimi moved toward the kitchen and poked her head through the doorway. She stared at Benny, who was sitting there yelling at someone on the phone. After a moment, Benny looked up and saw Mimi. He smiled weakly, which was enough incentive for Mimi to walk over to the table.

She dropped down across from Benny and stayed silent, waiting until he hung up. Mimi couldn't help but feel guilty.

"Good morning," Benny said, smiling at her as he pressed the off button and placed the phone on the table.

"Hey," Mimi said, nodding her head.

"Did you sleep well? I'm sorry about last night," he said, frowning.

Mimi looked at Benny, raising an eyebrow. "What about last night?"

"I had to leave.. before you got back. Didn't you get my note? I didn't get in until a few minutes ago. I was at work all night."

She looked at Benny for a long moment before she realized what was going on. "Oh.. yeah. I didn't get in until late and I was tired. I figured you'd just come in eventually.."

"Well.. I can't stay long anyway. I was going to invite you to breakfast but I just got a phone call that didn't turn out how I wanted it to."

Mimi smirked and nodded. "Yeah, I heard."

Benny stood up and moved to the fridge. She watched his back for a moment, trying to get over the guilt she felt for lying and sleeping with another man. When he placed a bagel in front of her, she felt like crying.

"Thanks.." she choked out.

* * *

Mimi stayed in the house for the next week straight. She was scared if she actually showed her face to the outside world, she might see Roger. And that was something she didn't want to happen. It didn't see like such a bad idea but with Benny gone almost all the time, she was getting bored. All he did was work now. It was like he was ignoring her. The wedding that was supposed to happen in the summer wasn't coming along. Mimi didn't even know if she was going to get married now.

Finally, she crawled out of the bed and put on some clothes. She looked at the bed. Benny hadn't slept there in days. It was beginning to depress her.

She heard the front door open and she looked up, a frown coming to her face. Mimi walked out of the bedroom and looked straight at Benny, who was already talking on his cellphone. She sighed and walked into the kitchen, trying to find herself something to eat. Benny usually did the grocery shopping. Now since all he was doing was working, there was barely any food left in the apartment.

When Benny finally walked into the kitchen, he didn't have the cellphone attached to his ear anymore. "Hey," he said, his attention obviously on something else.

Mimi didn't reply, instead she just began to make a pot of coffee.

"Did you sleep well?" Benny asked, sitting down at the table.

"You might know if you were here.." she muttered, sighing.

"Come on, Mimi. You know I'm just doing my job. I can't help it if I have to work more than usual."

It amazed her how calm he could stay when they fought. Sometimes it made her sick.

Mimi rolled her eyes and stared at the coffeemaker, watching it drip slowly into the pot.

"Mimi, don't be like this.."

"Like what? You haven't been home for more than two hours every day this week. Is this how you're going to keep working for the rest of your life?" she asked, turning and looking at him, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Well.. yeah, Mimi. I'm going to keep working like this. It's going to make sure that I have a nice life."

Mimi bit her bottom lip and twirled the diamond ring around on her finger. "I've been thinking about it Benny and.. maybe it should be a nice life... without me," she said quietly, pulling the ring off.

When she sat the ring down on the table in front of him, Mimi couldn't even look at the shocked expression on his face. "You're.. you're breaking up with me?" he asked, staring at her.

"I'm sorry, Benny. But.. I just, I can't take this. We were already supposed to have our wedding cake and our colors picked out.. And a place for our wedding. Hell, I haven't even got a dress yet. And I'm pretty sure a wedding is just going to take your mind off of work.. I'm sorry.." she said quietly, shaking her head.

Mimi walked out of the kitchen and into the bedroom. It didn't take her long to pack up her things. She grabbed Angel off of the bed and ushered the cat into her carrier. "It's time for better places, Angel. I promise.." she whispered, smiling at the cat.

Before she walked out of the apartment, she stopped at the kitchen entrance and looked at Benny, still sitting at the table.

"Just.. don't say anything, Mimi.." he said quietly.

"Bye, Benny.." she whispered, heading toward to door.

As soon as she walked out onto the street, Mimi took a deep breath. It felt good, not to have an engagement ring on her finger anymore. The only problem was, she didn't know where to go now. Mimi checked her watch and looked down the sidewalk.

It was Tuesday. She might've been skipping her cafe visits but maybe Collins wasn't.


	14. Chapter 13

**AN- Yay! It's the end. I combined what was going to happen in another chapter into this one just so I didn't have to write anymore. I'm a lazy girl. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this story because I have. It's the first real chapter story I've done. And I was very happy with all the reviews. Every single one of them made me happy. So, here's the last chapter. Hope you're happy.**

* * *

Mimi walked the distance to the cafe where she and Collins usually met. When she looked through the window, she wasn't that surprised to see him sitting there, alone at a table.

Without another thought, Mimi entered the cafe. She immediately walked over to the table where she usually sat with him and sat down.

Collins looked up. "You're late," he said, taking a sip of his coffee. His eyes grazed over the bag and then to her left hand. "Oh.. so you're not here for coffee."

Mimi smiled weakly and put her bag into one of the other chairs. "Not really. I just needed somewhere to go. This was the first place I thought of."

She quickly told Collins the story, explaining exactly why she had broken up with Benny.

"You should've kept the ring. You could've hocked it," Collins said, smirking at her.

"You're in my seat."

"Excuse me, but I was he--" As soon as Mimi turned around to yell at the man, she stopped.

"Roger," she said simply, a smile growing on her face.

"You're in my seat.. but I guess I can let you off this time."

Roger pulled out another chair and sat down, his eyes on Mimi.

Maybe it was because he was looking for it, but he quickly noticed the fact that her ring finger was bare. "Lose your ring?"

"As a matter of fact, I gave it back to Benny," Mimi said, looking over to Roger, her lips pursed.

"Did that have something to do with me?"

"No Roger, it had nothing to do with the fact that we slept together while I was engaged." Mimi rolled her eyes and leaned back, looking toward the windows.

"Well.. I guess I'm going to leave the two of you alone," Collins announced. "I try to stay out of awkward moments these days."

Mimi watched as Collins stood up and walked toward the counter.

"Great. You ran Collins off," Roger said quietly, sighing. "So, why'd you leave Benny?"

She looked over at him and sighed. "Because all he did was work and I was lonely. I was never going to marry him." Mimi ran her fingers through her hair and leaned forward. "I need a place to stay."

He smirked and shook his head. "Wow. You just keep using me. First for a fuck and now for a place to stay. It's beginning to get to me."

Mimi chuckled lightly. "So, yes or no?"

"Fine.. you can stay. But I'm sure Mark's going to be pissed. He hates when I bring in strays."

"Shut up, Roger," she instructed before she leaned forward and kissed him.

At least now she knew she wouldn't be running out on him anytime soon.


End file.
